Planning Strategy for Rural Northern IrelandThe Context: Background

The area to which the Strategy relates excludes the Belfast Urban Area, the adjoining towns of Carrickfergus and Bangor, and Londonderry, but includes and has a relevance to all the remaining towns, villages and countryside of Northern Ireland. Approximately 950,000 people or 60% of the region's population live in the area defined as rural Northern Ireland for the purpose of the Strategy. It is estimated over 350,000 or 22% live in the open countryside.